Erik Stangvik is a seasoned social entrepreneur and senior strategist with more than three decades of experience building businesses, raising capital, developing organizations, and advancing initiatives at the intersection of commerce and social impact.
His entrepreneurial career began as an owner and operator of The Body Shop franchises across the United States, where he worked closely with founder Anita Roddick for a decade, helping expand the international brand while supporting pioneering sustainable economic and social-impact initiatives around the world. He later co-founded and served as CEO of Zoup-ah!, a filmed entertainment and lifestyle brand introducing young audiences to culinary adventures, and owned and operated Furla retail stores on the West Coast.
Throughout his career, Erik has been deeply committed to using enterprise as a catalyst for positive change. As founding Executive Vice President of The Heroic Imagination Project, he worked alongside Dr. Philip Zimbardo to foster leadership, courage, and social resilience in young people. As Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of No Bully, he helped scale the organization and its work to end bullying in schools. His commitment to cultural heritage and institution-building also led him to play a significant role in the development of Seattle’s National Nordic Museum.
Most recently, Erik spent four years as Co-Founder, Managing Director, and a principal owner of IO, working alongside founder and CEO Suzy Amis Cameron to build a global holding company grounded in the belief that business can be a force for environmental and social good. He co-developed and oversaw a diverse portfolio spanning science and technology, fashion and textiles, food, education, media, and wellness, with operations across the United States, Europe, and New Zealand. The company’s approach expanded the traditional definition of ROI to encompass return on investment, impact, and integrity. Although Erik has stepped away from his executive role, he remains an owner of IO.
Erik is also a Co-Founder and Principal of a Physical AI company born from joint work with leading scientists and collaborators. The company is currently operating in stealth mode.
His board service has included Hands That Shape Humanity, The Body Shop, Stanford Shopping Center, PONCHO, Upstate Films, and Until There’s A Cure Foundation. He currently serves on the boards of the Rockefeller family foundation PMR and the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Partnership. In media, Erik is Executive Producer of the television series Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the World.
Educated at the University of California, Berkeley, Erik is a lifelong advocate for human rights, climate action, cultural preservation, and the development of empathy and leadership in young people. He is particularly passionate about creating opportunities for women to lead and building a more equitable, compassionate, and sustainable world.
Splitting his time between the United States and Italy, Erik has held many titles throughout his career—but his favorite will always be “Dad.”